If someone wants to get you a guitar-related gift, this would be a good one. Guitar capos are relatively inexpensive and easy to come by in music stores and online. If any of the reasons above sound attractive to you, then, by all means, get one. When playing with others, however, weвЂ™d need to tune the guitar lower (so the note we play is the actual note on the page) or remove the capo. This permits more comfortable guitar playing and sitting. Using a capo at the 1st or 2nd fret will create the same effect as having a smaller guitar. This is a viable alternative to getting a custom-made guitar or having to search out a decent small-scale guitar. Kids and guitarists with smaller hands can use a capo to make the distance between frets smaller. This way, you donвЂ™t become accustomed to it one way, and feel awkward in others (or worse, when playing without a capo). In other words, itвЂ™s just for fun.ДЄ warning: If you use a capo in practice, be sure to vary the positions. This can add some variation and novelty to their guitar playing, and encourage them to practice more. They do this to vary the sound of technical exercises, chord voicings, or familiar pieces. Many classical guitarists enjoy playing with a capo during practice. Some composers take this idea one step further by combining alternate tunings with a guitar capo. Some pieces create unique sounds by capoing only some of the strings or altering the capo in some way. Or they may want the sound of pieces to contrast with each other in a suite or collection. They may want the guitar to sound like a different instrument, such as a lute or mandolin. This is usually to get a specific effect. In some pieces, a composer will call for a classical guitar capo. Use #3: The Composer wants a Specific Sound If you know of any, please share it with us in the comments below. Note: There may be other reasons flamenco players do this. Outside flamenco, other guitarists use capos for this same purpose: to help the guitar вЂњcut throughвЂќ ambient noise. This can help the guitar be more easily heard among all the dancing and clapping in flamenco music (And various other types of Spanish Guitar Music). This вЂњbrightensвЂќ the sound (makes it higher). Use #2: Brighten the SoundДЇlamenco guitarists often capo at the first or second fret. Where normal tuning allowed a вЂњDвЂќ chord, that same chord now sounds as an E-flat chord (because E-flat is one note up from D, and weвЂ™ve capoed one fret up). The guitarists can use familiar chords and have them sound in the key of E-flat.ДЄs a technical example, the guitarist could capo the first fret then play in the key of D. They can then use вЂњ cowboy chordsвЂќ (basic open-position chord shapes). The guitarist could then use the capo to change the tuning of the open strings. This simple action makes it incredibly simple to change keys.ДЄdditionally, the guitar capo can cut the need for bar chords or playing in less-familiar locations on the guitar neck.ДЇor example, a singer may prefer to sing in a вЂњless-guitar-friendlyвЂќ key, such as E-flat. The key of a song just depends on where they put the capo.

Using a capo, a guitar player can play any chord progression he/she already knows, but have those chords sound in different keys. You will see guitar capos used a lot by acoustic guitar players in this context. The largest population using guitar capos are players who also sing, or accompany singers. Guitar capos come in many shapes and sizes (and incredibly easy to use), but all have the same function: to shorten the vibrating section of the strings.Д«ut why is this useful? Use #1: Same Chords, Different Key This is because the vibrating section of the string is now shorter. The guitar has become вЂњsmallerвЂќ and higher pitched. This raises the pitch of what are now the open strings. Imagine someone walking up behind you and pressing a finger across all your guitar strings with even pressure on the desired fret. We classical (and acoustic guitar) players donвЂ™t have many accessories.ДЄ capo is a device that clamps onto a guitar neck to shorten the string length. Electric guitar gets to play with loads of pedals and effects.

Acoustic guitar capo